Gratituesday: Calm Before the…Structure

I had a difficult time knowing how to title this post. It’s not like there’s really a storm coming in our lives (that we know of), so I couldn’t really call it the “Calm Before the Storm”. Everything upcoming in our lives: soccer season, feeding many extra people, school starting, gardening/preserving season – we love all of it. I almost called it “Calm Before the Crazy”, but that didn’t quite define it either because I’ve been working really hard to get organized before this busy season hits. I’m really hoping that it will all run smoothly and not be crazy.

I finally settled on “Calm Before the Structure”. I’m not sure that’s an accurate title or not, but it’s the best I could come up with.

Here’s the thing: This is our last week of “down time” before our family begins our structured school year, before soccer season starts, before tomatoes start to overtake our kitchen and before we begin our new high school Sunday night ministry. It may not be crazy (one can hope) but life is just about to get a lot busier. I’m not sure where that “busier” is going to fit in with our already very busy days, but I’m bracing myself because it’s a comin’!

As of Saturday, the new books I’ve been spending so many hours writing the past few months are allllllllmost finished. My Two Week Tackle List is dwindling. Ladies and Gentleman (because really, how many gentlemen are really reading this?) – I hereby declare that this week I’m taking a little time to relax!

I spent several hours today organizing our school books (which really doesn’t feel like work to me). I also allowed myself to read several chapters of Jane Eyre just because I wanted to! Wednesday, I’m taking all the boys to the $1 movie. Thursday we’ll all go out and do our traditional “back to school supply shopping” and go out for lunch. What a treat! The boys and I have been sitting and reading fun read alouds like The Toothpaste Millionaire and The Family Under the Bridge.

This week, we don’t have much of a schedule and it’s really, really nice. We’re gearing up for structure and full, full days. We can’t wait for all the fun! But this week, we may not get dressed until noon. We may play games until way past bedtime. We may eat ice cream for breakfast.

It’s a calm week, and I’m loving every minute of it!

What are you thankful for this Gratituesday? Write about it on your blog, then come link up with us here. If you don’t have a blog, be sure to leave a comment letting us know what you’re grateful for!

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Comments

“What are you thankful for this Gratituesday? If you don’t have a blog, be sure to leave a comment letting us know what you’re grateful for!”

Well…since you asked…

This week I am really, really thankful that people I work very closely with in an upcoming ministry are very calm when confronted with in-your-face opposition, and they protect me because I am NOT calm in such situations. It takes all sorts of personality types and all sorts of strengths to make a ministry work (I think so anyway), and I thank you for your ministry and for being able to read your posts and get encouragement from them. And please pray for ours to be an effective, positive, encouraging contribution to our community. We need all the prayers we can get!!!

I am so glad you get to spend some real down time this week Laura. Our last house guests leave this afternoon and so we are getting ready for some quiet. Well, as much quiet as you can have when 11 of us are living under one roof! Rest, sweet rest is what I hope to have in the next couple of days. I am truly blessed.

Good for you for having a scheduled ‘down’ week! We own a vacation house on a nearby lake and when we are there we live by that same sort of schedule! When the nearby you pick strawberry field is open we have strawberry shortcake for supper and it has never hurt any of us! The days of raising your children are gone so fast and you just don’t realize it until they are gone and you only spend real time with them when they have vacation time off of their jobs. Take advantage of every opportunity to make great memories!

Good for you for having a scheduled ‘down’ week! We own a vacation house on a nearby lake and when we are there we live by that same sort of schedule! When the nearby you pick strawberry field is open we have strawberry shortcake for supper and it has never hurt any of us! The days of raising your children are gone so fast and you just don’t realize it until they are gone and you only spend real time with them when they have vacation time off of their jobs. Take advantage of every opportunity to make great memories!

Yes, such a good question! We do some reading during the summer, but nothing structured. At the beginning of the summer, I always feel like we could be doing more school work during our down time, but it doesn’t take long for me to remember why we don’t: trips to family reunions, the kids being at camp off and on, me trying to work on special and bigger projects for the website. Summer, is more flexible, but that means that summer is more scattered. Plus, I really, really enjoy the break. :)

I’m thankful that you host this party every week! I’m thankful we have five more weeks until we begin the new school year! I’m thankful for the warm and sunny weekend we had here in the Pacific NW and the continuation of that weather this week so my garden will grow (Lord willing…)! And you’ll have to look at the post I linked up to see what else I’m thankful for. :) Blessings to you and yours this week, Laura! ~Lisa